creeps

[ kreeps ]

noun

, (used with a singular verb)

1. Veterinary Pathology. a disease of the bones in sheep and cattle that causes pain in walking, resulting from a deficiency of phosphorus in the diet.

creeps

/ kriːps /

plural noun

1. the creeps informal.
   a feeling of fear, repulsion, disgust, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of creeps¹

So called from the effect on the animal's gait; creep, -s ³

Example Sentences

Ben Richmond, senior director of operations, podcasts Who you are voting for this year: Kamala Harris Why: Bureaucratic incrementalism might not be my ideal government, but it sure beats “One man’s list of personal grievances, plus whatever weird Christian nationalism the most sycophantic creeps in America can sneak in.”

From Slate

Emotion creeps into Gascón’s voice when he talks about what might happen if he loses.

From Los Angeles Times

“Once one neighborhood is surrounded by warehouses, then the investors will come, buy them out, and then it creeps up more and more and more,” Cervantes said.

From Los Angeles Times

“God save the most judgmental creeps who say they want what’s best for me,” she sings, “Sanctimoniously performing soliloquies I’ll never see.”

From Los Angeles Times

The choice is yet another indicator of how much the Trump campaign's strategy depends on appealing to fringe constituencies in hopes that they turn out just enough creeps and conspiracy theorists to eke out a win in the swing states.

From Salon

Related Words

• alarm
• angst
• anxiety
• apprehension
• awe
• concern
• despair
• dismay
• doubt
• dread
• horror
• jitters
• panic
• scare
• suspicion
• terror
• unease
• uneasiness
• worry